Dear Jonah

One Sunday morning, our lesson for the 5^th grade Sunday school class was about Jonah.  We covered Jonah’s story pretty well – all the way from God letting Jonah know what He wanted him to do and continuing right through Jonah finally heading to Ninevah and not being happy with the result.  Never mind that it was God’s plan and what He wanted.  Jonah was still mad.  It didn’t fit with what Jonah wanted for those awful, undeserving, rebellious Ninevites.   (Wait . . . oh no, that sounds a lot like me!  It just occurred to me that I could be Jonah or I could be a Nivevite.  I have been known to act like each on various occasions.  Not proud of it.  Just saying . . .)  So, after the story was told, I asked the group a question:  “What do you think Jonah could have done differently?”  The immediate and obvious answer came from a child – “He should have just done what God told him to do.  It would have been a lot easier on him.”  Ain’t it the truth.    So here I am.  I have heard Jonah’s story all my life.  I have had this wonderful example available to me and you would think that I would have learned something.   But, like Jonah, there are too many times when I still insist on my way instead of God’s way.  Why in the world do I do that to myself?  Not one time has God ever said, “You know, you were right about that.  Let’s do it your way.” 

I’m doing the Bible study on Jonah (Jonah – Navigating a Life Interrupted) and I just finished the first week of homework.  Oh boy.    What an eye opener.  For starters, I actually realized that those annoying/frustrating/frightening interruptions weren’t really just interruptions.  They were Divine Interventions orchestrated by the One who always has a perfect view of the big picture and was still willing to let me have a part in it.  That is scary and wonderful all at the same time.  I wish I could write a short note to Jonah:

Dear Jonah,

I understand.  You were scared, angry, and upset.  So, you ran away.  I do that, too.  I am trying to learn from your example.  It is a gift.  Thank you.  It is just what I wanted and needed. 

Love,

Susan

Join us for Bible study.  We would love to have you there.  Maybe this is one of those things He is asking you to do and you keep resisting.  Learn something from Jonah and make it easier on yourself.  The study I do is on Tuesday night, but there are others available mornings and afternoons.  Click on the link

 http://www.ehbconline.com/womens_ministry.asp and you can see the current schedule. 

By the way – can anyone help me with the Navigation Tools part at the end of the homework?  I might be truly stuck or I might be overthinking it.  Either way, I think I did it wrong.